Trial Lawyers made out like bandits in Senate Health Care Bill
It’s enough to make you sick.
The mad dash to cram a government takeover of America’s health-care system – one-sixth of the US economy -- has left lots of taxpayers sick. Congress has outdone itself in the category of outrageous legislative payoffs, even by congressional standards.
Some states got exempted from paying for some of the expansions, while those of us in other states will be left holding the bag – along with their costs.
But few groups make out better under the congressional leadership’s health-care plans than personal-injury trial lawyers.
In reading the health-care bill approved by the House of Representatives and Harry Reid’s bill pending in the Senate, Nixon found (so far) 26 new opportunities for plaintiff lawyers to sue doctors for malpractice.
Read more about it here:
http://healthcare.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ODM3OGIwOTAzYjViN2MyNTA5ODlhNGU5YTEwODM3OTU
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Santa may move operation to TX: full employment for elves
From Lone Star Report Blog:
Santa Claus, who said he may want to move his North Pole opeartions to Texas to take advantage of the better business climate, assisted Americans for Prosperity-Texas in releasing the group's "Naughty and Nice" lists for 2009.
Peggy Venable, executive director of AFP-Texas, introduced during a press conference this morning AFP-Texas' Legislative Report Card for the 81st Legislative Session as "Santa" read a list of the highest grades.
http://www.lonestarreport.org/Home/tabid/38/EntryId/367/Santa-AFP-tells-whos-naughty-and-nice.aspx
Santa Claus, who said he may want to move his North Pole opeartions to Texas to take advantage of the better business climate, assisted Americans for Prosperity-Texas in releasing the group's "Naughty and Nice" lists for 2009.
Peggy Venable, executive director of AFP-Texas, introduced during a press conference this morning AFP-Texas' Legislative Report Card for the 81st Legislative Session as "Santa" read a list of the highest grades.
http://www.lonestarreport.org/Home/tabid/38/EntryId/367/Santa-AFP-tells-whos-naughty-and-nice.aspx
Monday, December 21, 2009
If your Senator wasn't bought off, he's a chump
http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1209/Reid_defends_deals_.html
Reid defends deals
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) offered a vigorous defense Monday of the deals in the Senate reform bill that benefit individual states, saying “it doesn’t speak well” of senators who didn’t secure such deals.
“There are 100 senators here and I don’t know that there’s a senator that doesn’t have something in this bill that isn’t important to them,” Reid said. “If they don’t have something in it important to them then it doesn’t speak well of them.”
He likened the legislation to the defense bill, which is thick with earmarks and other provisions benefitting individual members and even private corporations.
“That’s what legislations all about,” Reid said of the compromises. “It’s the art of compromise. In this great country of ours, Nevada has many different problems than does New Hampshire. Michigan has many different problems than does Georgia.”
By Jake Sherman
Some taxpayers have known there are some members of ill repute in the Senate, at least now we know their price. And Reid paid the price with your tax dollars! Are you outraged?
Reid defends deals
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) offered a vigorous defense Monday of the deals in the Senate reform bill that benefit individual states, saying “it doesn’t speak well” of senators who didn’t secure such deals.
“There are 100 senators here and I don’t know that there’s a senator that doesn’t have something in this bill that isn’t important to them,” Reid said. “If they don’t have something in it important to them then it doesn’t speak well of them.”
He likened the legislation to the defense bill, which is thick with earmarks and other provisions benefitting individual members and even private corporations.
“That’s what legislations all about,” Reid said of the compromises. “It’s the art of compromise. In this great country of ours, Nevada has many different problems than does New Hampshire. Michigan has many different problems than does Georgia.”
By Jake Sherman
Some taxpayers have known there are some members of ill repute in the Senate, at least now we know their price. And Reid paid the price with your tax dollars! Are you outraged?
Santa Claus names "naughty" and "nice" TX legislators
AUSTIN – Americans for Prosperity-Texas released its 2009
Legislative Report Card to taxpayers today with the help of
Santa Claus, who read the names of legislators who made the
“Nice” list by earning an A for the 81st Texas
Legislative Session and those who made the “Naughty”
list by earning a D or F.
“A number of legislators earned good grades this year. As
result of their work, Texas is doing relatively well,”
said AFP State Director Peggy Venable. “Texas remains the
beacon of fiscal sanity in this country because of the
leadership of these legislators. Our legislative leaders
–Governor Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, and Speaker
Joe Straus, along with all of those legislators who earned high
marks – deserve recognition for steering Texas in the
right direction.”
“Taxpayers have one thing on their Christmas list
– less government and more liberty – and Santa
made his list accordingly,” said Venable.
Grades for AFP’s Report Card were determined on a
numerical basis based by the legislators’ votes on key
issues which relate to AFP’s mission statement and
AFP-Texas’ “Defending the American Dream
Agenda” (see it at http://www.afptx.org). AFP tallied
votes on issues ranging from fiscal responsibility and limiting
government growth, to appraisal reform.
Santa announced today that four State Senators and 44 State
Representatives earned a coveted spot on the
“Nice” list, including six House members who
earned A+ grades. Those on the ill-fated “Naughty”
list include 17 State Senators (three D’s and 14
F’s) and 27 State Representatives (22 D’s and five
F’s). The complete listing of numerical grades and the
votes considered are available on the AFP-Texas website.
“Legislators who rated well used fiscal restraint in
spending, and that will serve Texans well in the future as
Congress is cramming more unfunded mandates to the
states,” Venable said. “Even Santa has tightened
his belt in these tough economic times, so we commend Texas
legislators who have done the same.”
“What better time than the holidays to let citizens know
which legislators protected their constituents’
pocketbook and liberty in the 2009 legislative session,”
Venable continued, “and which legislators were generous
with other people’s money and used it to grow
government.”
Legislators who received A’s on the AFP-Texas report card
voted in a manner which promoted individual liberty, lower taxes
and fewer onerous regulations.
“It is no coincidence that we are releasing our state
legislative report card list this week, as Congress is poised to
pass one of the most expensive and expansive pieces of
legislation in my lifetime,” Venable said. “We are
bankrupting our children and grandchildren.”
“Texas is doing well as the No. 1 state in the country
for business relocation, for having more Fortune 500 companies
than any other state, and thanks to sound fiscal and regulator
policies, Texas has created more jobs than all other states in
the country combined,” said Venable.
AFP is encouraging legislators on the “Naughty”
list to adopt the principles of AFP’s Defending the
American Dream Agenda if they want to continue to see Texas in
the No. 1 spot in the nation. They are being encouraged to read
the AFP-Texas booklet “Keeping Texas Competitive,
Prosperity in the Lone Star State.”
“Government doesn't provide prosperity –
businesses do,” said AFP-Texas Advisory Board chairman
Ben Streusand from Houston.
“As Congress has put us over $12 trillion dollars in
debt, it is appropriate to recognize that Texas has a strong
economy as result of those in leadership who have followed the
right course,” Streusand added.
To see the full report card, including the legislators who made
the “Naughty” list, visit www.afptx.org.
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of
citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual’s
right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing
the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to
ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all
Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of
restraining state and federal government growth, and returning
government to its constitutional limits. AFP has more than
800,000 members, including members in all 50 states, and 24
state chapters. For more information, visit
www.americansforprosperity.org
Legislative Report Card to taxpayers today with the help of
Santa Claus, who read the names of legislators who made the
“Nice” list by earning an A for the 81st Texas
Legislative Session and those who made the “Naughty”
list by earning a D or F.
“A number of legislators earned good grades this year. As
result of their work, Texas is doing relatively well,”
said AFP State Director Peggy Venable. “Texas remains the
beacon of fiscal sanity in this country because of the
leadership of these legislators. Our legislative leaders
–Governor Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, and Speaker
Joe Straus, along with all of those legislators who earned high
marks – deserve recognition for steering Texas in the
right direction.”
“Taxpayers have one thing on their Christmas list
– less government and more liberty – and Santa
made his list accordingly,” said Venable.
Grades for AFP’s Report Card were determined on a
numerical basis based by the legislators’ votes on key
issues which relate to AFP’s mission statement and
AFP-Texas’ “Defending the American Dream
Agenda” (see it at http://www.afptx.org). AFP tallied
votes on issues ranging from fiscal responsibility and limiting
government growth, to appraisal reform.
Santa announced today that four State Senators and 44 State
Representatives earned a coveted spot on the
“Nice” list, including six House members who
earned A+ grades. Those on the ill-fated “Naughty”
list include 17 State Senators (three D’s and 14
F’s) and 27 State Representatives (22 D’s and five
F’s). The complete listing of numerical grades and the
votes considered are available on the AFP-Texas website.
“Legislators who rated well used fiscal restraint in
spending, and that will serve Texans well in the future as
Congress is cramming more unfunded mandates to the
states,” Venable said. “Even Santa has tightened
his belt in these tough economic times, so we commend Texas
legislators who have done the same.”
“What better time than the holidays to let citizens know
which legislators protected their constituents’
pocketbook and liberty in the 2009 legislative session,”
Venable continued, “and which legislators were generous
with other people’s money and used it to grow
government.”
Legislators who received A’s on the AFP-Texas report card
voted in a manner which promoted individual liberty, lower taxes
and fewer onerous regulations.
“It is no coincidence that we are releasing our state
legislative report card list this week, as Congress is poised to
pass one of the most expensive and expansive pieces of
legislation in my lifetime,” Venable said. “We are
bankrupting our children and grandchildren.”
“Texas is doing well as the No. 1 state in the country
for business relocation, for having more Fortune 500 companies
than any other state, and thanks to sound fiscal and regulator
policies, Texas has created more jobs than all other states in
the country combined,” said Venable.
AFP is encouraging legislators on the “Naughty”
list to adopt the principles of AFP’s Defending the
American Dream Agenda if they want to continue to see Texas in
the No. 1 spot in the nation. They are being encouraged to read
the AFP-Texas booklet “Keeping Texas Competitive,
Prosperity in the Lone Star State.”
“Government doesn't provide prosperity –
businesses do,” said AFP-Texas Advisory Board chairman
Ben Streusand from Houston.
“As Congress has put us over $12 trillion dollars in
debt, it is appropriate to recognize that Texas has a strong
economy as result of those in leadership who have followed the
right course,” Streusand added.
To see the full report card, including the legislators who made
the “Naughty” list, visit www.afptx.org.
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of
citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual’s
right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing
the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to
ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all
Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of
restraining state and federal government growth, and returning
government to its constitutional limits. AFP has more than
800,000 members, including members in all 50 states, and 24
state chapters. For more information, visit
www.americansforprosperity.org
Sunday, December 20, 2009
KBH: Going the Wrong way on Obamacare
I thought this video was particularly relevant, given KBH's strange decision to vote with the Dems last week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ba2fGKJ75I
I don't know if this is an ad, but it is circulating online.
What on earth was KBH thinking????
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ba2fGKJ75I
I don't know if this is an ad, but it is circulating online.
What on earth was KBH thinking????
Let’s Make A Deal…With Your Money
Let’s Make A Deal…With Your Money
Interesting Provisions That Recently Appeared In Senate Health Bill
$100,000,000 For “Health Care Facility” “At A Public Research University In The United States That Contains A State’s Sole Public Academic Medical And Dental School.” “(a) APPROPRIATION.—There are authorized to be appropriated, and there are appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, to remain available for obligation until September 30, 2011, to be used for debt service on, or direct construction or renovation of, a health care facility that provides research, inpatient tertiary care, or outpatient clinical services. Such facility shall be affiliated with an academic health center at a public research university in the United States that contains a State’s sole public academic medical and dental school.” (Manager’s Amendment To H.R. 3590, Pg. 328)
NEBRASKA
“As Part Of The Deal To Win Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson's Support, The Federal Government Will Fund Nebraska's New Medicaid Recipients.” (“Ben Nelson's Medicaid Deal,” Politico, 12/19/09)
“In Addition To The Medicaid Carve Out, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) Negotiated An Exemption From The Insurance Tax For Non-Profit Insurers Based In His State. The Language Was Written In A Way That Only Mutual Of Omaha Insurance Company, As Well As Blue Cross Blue Shield Nonprofit Plans In Nebraska and Michigan, would qualify, according to a Democratic Senate aide.” (“Nelson Wins Insurance Tax Exemption, Too,” Politico, 12/19/09)
VERMONT
“The Health Care Overhaul Taking Shape In Congress Includes A Provision Pushed By Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy To Increase The State’s Medicaid Payments By $250 Million Over Six Years. The Provision, Also Supported By Sen. Bernie Sanders, Is Included In An Amendment Of Negotiated Provisions Offered By Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid On Saturday. The bill would require all states to expand their Medicaid programs to cover more low-income individuals and would increase Medicaid payments to cover the expansion. Leahy, Sanders and others have argued that Vermont would have been penalized because it already has expanded its coverage.” (“Health Bill Boosts Vt. Medicaid Payments,” The Associated Press, 12/19/09)
FLORIDA
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) Negotiated A Deal To Grandfather Medicare Advantage Enrollees In Florida. “A fiery John McCain took to the Senate floor to offer a health care amendment -- and tweaked Bill Nelson in the process. The Arizona Republican said his amendment would send the Senate health care bill back to committee to grandfather in all enrollees in the Medicare Advantage programs -- Nelson and a number of Democrats successfully negotiated grandfather clauses for seniors in their states in exchange for supporting the bill.” (“John McCain Takes On Bill Nelson,” The Miami Herald’s “Naked Politics” Blog, 12/7/09)
57 Democrats Vote To Defend Special Deal For Florida Medicare Advantage Program. (S.Amdt.2961 To H.R.3590, Roll Call Vote #370, Motion To Recommit Failed 42-57: R: 40-0; D 2-55; I 0-2, 12/8/09)
LOUISIANA
“And Reid Already Has Established A Dangerous Precedent, By Dangling $300 Million In Medicaid Funding For Louisiana To Win Landrieu's Support For Bringing The Bill To The Senate Floor. Months Earlier, Reid Had Carved Out His Own Medicaid Exemption For Nevada. One addition he made to the Senate bill, an increase in the Medicare payroll tax for high earners, has raised concerns with Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (Maine). Snowe, the only Republican who has been at least somewhat supportive of Democratic reform efforts, cited its potential to harm small businesses.” (“Reid's Recipe For Getting Health-Care Deal Done,” The Washington Post, 12/4/09)
MONTANA
“The Secretary Shall Establish A Pilot Program In Accordance With This Subsection To Provide Innovative Approaches To Furnishing Comprehensive, Coordinated, And Cost-Effective Care Under This Title To Individuals Described In Paragraph … [An Individual] Is An Environmental Exposure Affected Individual Described In Subsection (E)(2) Who Resides In Or Around The Geographic Area Subject To An Emergency Declaration Made As Of June 17, 2009.” ‘‘(A) PRIMARY PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall establish a pilot program in accordance with this subsection to provide innovative approaches to furnishing comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-effective care under this title to individuals described in paragraph (2)(A). … ‘‘(2) INDIVIDUAL DESCRIBED.—For purposes of paragraph (1), an individual described in this paragraph is an individual who enrolls in part B, submits to the Secretary an application to participate in the applicable pilot program under this subsection, and— ‘‘(A) is an environmental exposure affected individual described in subsection (e)(2) who resides in or around the geographic area subject to an emergency declaration made as of June 17, 2009.” (Manager’s Amendment To H.R. 3590, Pg. 195-196)
· “On June 17, 2009, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Issued A Public Health Emergency (PHE) Finding At The Libby Asbestos Superfund Site In Northwest Montana. Over The Past Several Years, Hundreds Of Cases Of Asbestos-Related Disease Have Been Documented In The Communities Of Libby And Nearby Troy.” (EPA Website, Accessed 12/19/09)
Interesting Provisions That Recently Appeared In Senate Health Bill
$100,000,000 For “Health Care Facility” “At A Public Research University In The United States That Contains A State’s Sole Public Academic Medical And Dental School.” “(a) APPROPRIATION.—There are authorized to be appropriated, and there are appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, to remain available for obligation until September 30, 2011, to be used for debt service on, or direct construction or renovation of, a health care facility that provides research, inpatient tertiary care, or outpatient clinical services. Such facility shall be affiliated with an academic health center at a public research university in the United States that contains a State’s sole public academic medical and dental school.” (Manager’s Amendment To H.R. 3590, Pg. 328)
NEBRASKA
“As Part Of The Deal To Win Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson's Support, The Federal Government Will Fund Nebraska's New Medicaid Recipients.” (“Ben Nelson's Medicaid Deal,” Politico, 12/19/09)
“In Addition To The Medicaid Carve Out, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) Negotiated An Exemption From The Insurance Tax For Non-Profit Insurers Based In His State. The Language Was Written In A Way That Only Mutual Of Omaha Insurance Company, As Well As Blue Cross Blue Shield Nonprofit Plans In Nebraska and Michigan, would qualify, according to a Democratic Senate aide.” (“Nelson Wins Insurance Tax Exemption, Too,” Politico, 12/19/09)
VERMONT
“The Health Care Overhaul Taking Shape In Congress Includes A Provision Pushed By Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy To Increase The State’s Medicaid Payments By $250 Million Over Six Years. The Provision, Also Supported By Sen. Bernie Sanders, Is Included In An Amendment Of Negotiated Provisions Offered By Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid On Saturday. The bill would require all states to expand their Medicaid programs to cover more low-income individuals and would increase Medicaid payments to cover the expansion. Leahy, Sanders and others have argued that Vermont would have been penalized because it already has expanded its coverage.” (“Health Bill Boosts Vt. Medicaid Payments,” The Associated Press, 12/19/09)
FLORIDA
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) Negotiated A Deal To Grandfather Medicare Advantage Enrollees In Florida. “A fiery John McCain took to the Senate floor to offer a health care amendment -- and tweaked Bill Nelson in the process. The Arizona Republican said his amendment would send the Senate health care bill back to committee to grandfather in all enrollees in the Medicare Advantage programs -- Nelson and a number of Democrats successfully negotiated grandfather clauses for seniors in their states in exchange for supporting the bill.” (“John McCain Takes On Bill Nelson,” The Miami Herald’s “Naked Politics” Blog, 12/7/09)
57 Democrats Vote To Defend Special Deal For Florida Medicare Advantage Program. (S.Amdt.2961 To H.R.3590, Roll Call Vote #370, Motion To Recommit Failed 42-57: R: 40-0; D 2-55; I 0-2, 12/8/09)
LOUISIANA
“And Reid Already Has Established A Dangerous Precedent, By Dangling $300 Million In Medicaid Funding For Louisiana To Win Landrieu's Support For Bringing The Bill To The Senate Floor. Months Earlier, Reid Had Carved Out His Own Medicaid Exemption For Nevada. One addition he made to the Senate bill, an increase in the Medicare payroll tax for high earners, has raised concerns with Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (Maine). Snowe, the only Republican who has been at least somewhat supportive of Democratic reform efforts, cited its potential to harm small businesses.” (“Reid's Recipe For Getting Health-Care Deal Done,” The Washington Post, 12/4/09)
MONTANA
“The Secretary Shall Establish A Pilot Program In Accordance With This Subsection To Provide Innovative Approaches To Furnishing Comprehensive, Coordinated, And Cost-Effective Care Under This Title To Individuals Described In Paragraph … [An Individual] Is An Environmental Exposure Affected Individual Described In Subsection (E)(2) Who Resides In Or Around The Geographic Area Subject To An Emergency Declaration Made As Of June 17, 2009.” ‘‘(A) PRIMARY PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall establish a pilot program in accordance with this subsection to provide innovative approaches to furnishing comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-effective care under this title to individuals described in paragraph (2)(A). … ‘‘(2) INDIVIDUAL DESCRIBED.—For purposes of paragraph (1), an individual described in this paragraph is an individual who enrolls in part B, submits to the Secretary an application to participate in the applicable pilot program under this subsection, and— ‘‘(A) is an environmental exposure affected individual described in subsection (e)(2) who resides in or around the geographic area subject to an emergency declaration made as of June 17, 2009.” (Manager’s Amendment To H.R. 3590, Pg. 195-196)
· “On June 17, 2009, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Issued A Public Health Emergency (PHE) Finding At The Libby Asbestos Superfund Site In Northwest Montana. Over The Past Several Years, Hundreds Of Cases Of Asbestos-Related Disease Have Been Documented In The Communities Of Libby And Nearby Troy.” (EPA Website, Accessed 12/19/09)
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Unborn are left unprotected in health care bill
Nelson agreed to a so-called “compromise” on abortion language giving the Democrats their much needed 60th vote to pass their government takeover of health care bill.
Americans for Prosperity wants voters to know what is in the bill. Below is a brief summary of what the Manager’s Amendment includes and egregious provisions that still remain:
Ø Still allows for the funding of abortion, and is far from the Stupak language that passed the House with the support of 64 Democrats.
o Specifically Nelson’s “compromise” would mandate that every state provide an insurance plan option that does not cover abortion while giving each state the right to pass a law barring insurance coverage for abortion within state borders. However, the provision still allows for state taxes to go toward abortions in other states, and there is no prohibition on abortion coverage in federally-subsidized exchanges.
Ø Still contains the new unsustainable long-term care entitlement program – the CLASS Act, which faced major opposition from Senate Democrats, including Senator Conrad, the Chairman of the Budget Committee.
Ø Still contains unfunded mandates to states through the expansion of Medicaid but this time with new special treatment for the states of Nebraska, Vermont, and Massachusetts (which appears to be an attempt to get the “yes” vote from Sens. Nelson and Sanders). These states will receive FMAP bonuses such that:
o Nebraska will receive 100% FMAP for newly eligibles indefinitely.
o Vermont will receive a 2.2% FMAP increase for 6 years for their entire program.
o Massachusetts will receive a 0.5% FMAP increase for three years for the entire program.
Ø Still cuts Medicare, including cuts to home health care services which were opposed by Democrats on the Senate floor. If those cuts were unacceptable to them then, they should reject them now.
Ø Still contains the Independent Medicare Advisory Board (IMAB) made up of non-elected government bureaucrats that are empowered to make arbitrary cuts to Medicare providers that will limit access to care for seniors.
Ø Still raises taxes on middle class families and breaks President Obama’s pledge not to tax Americans earning less than $250,000.
Ø Raises the Medicare payroll tax by 0.9% (an additional 0.4% increase from the underlying bill which raised it by 0.5%) on individuals making $200,000 and families making $250,000 (thus maintaining the marriage penalty).
Ø New carve outs for physician-owned Hospitals in Nebraska.
Ø Removes the temporary “Doc Fix”. The underlying bill provided for 0.5% increase in Medicare reimbursements to physicians for 2010. The Manager’s Amendment removes this doc fix without addressing the problem. The temporary payment freeze passed in the DOD bill to avoid the 21.2% cut effective January 1, 2010 will expire March 1, 2010 and thus the Senate must enact a separate SGR fix. Some members may be concerned that such an important health priority should have been included in a “health care” reform bill and that this change is simply a budget gimmick to eliminate the $11.3 billion cost of the patch.
Ø Contains a new form of a government-run plan. Although the government-run plan with a state-opt out has been removed, the Manager’s amendment still allows for the federal government through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), to run, oversee and “negotiate” with non-profit plans that must be available nationwide.
The Manager’s Amendment Language can be found at:
http://www.democrats.senate.gov/reform/managers-amendment.pdf
The CBO cost estimate can be found at:
http://cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10868
The JCT cost estimate can be found at:
http://www.jct.gov/publications.html?func=startdown&id=3641
Americans for Prosperity wants voters to know what is in the bill. Below is a brief summary of what the Manager’s Amendment includes and egregious provisions that still remain:
Ø Still allows for the funding of abortion, and is far from the Stupak language that passed the House with the support of 64 Democrats.
o Specifically Nelson’s “compromise” would mandate that every state provide an insurance plan option that does not cover abortion while giving each state the right to pass a law barring insurance coverage for abortion within state borders. However, the provision still allows for state taxes to go toward abortions in other states, and there is no prohibition on abortion coverage in federally-subsidized exchanges.
Ø Still contains the new unsustainable long-term care entitlement program – the CLASS Act, which faced major opposition from Senate Democrats, including Senator Conrad, the Chairman of the Budget Committee.
Ø Still contains unfunded mandates to states through the expansion of Medicaid but this time with new special treatment for the states of Nebraska, Vermont, and Massachusetts (which appears to be an attempt to get the “yes” vote from Sens. Nelson and Sanders). These states will receive FMAP bonuses such that:
o Nebraska will receive 100% FMAP for newly eligibles indefinitely.
o Vermont will receive a 2.2% FMAP increase for 6 years for their entire program.
o Massachusetts will receive a 0.5% FMAP increase for three years for the entire program.
Ø Still cuts Medicare, including cuts to home health care services which were opposed by Democrats on the Senate floor. If those cuts were unacceptable to them then, they should reject them now.
Ø Still contains the Independent Medicare Advisory Board (IMAB) made up of non-elected government bureaucrats that are empowered to make arbitrary cuts to Medicare providers that will limit access to care for seniors.
Ø Still raises taxes on middle class families and breaks President Obama’s pledge not to tax Americans earning less than $250,000.
Ø Raises the Medicare payroll tax by 0.9% (an additional 0.4% increase from the underlying bill which raised it by 0.5%) on individuals making $200,000 and families making $250,000 (thus maintaining the marriage penalty).
Ø New carve outs for physician-owned Hospitals in Nebraska.
Ø Removes the temporary “Doc Fix”. The underlying bill provided for 0.5% increase in Medicare reimbursements to physicians for 2010. The Manager’s Amendment removes this doc fix without addressing the problem. The temporary payment freeze passed in the DOD bill to avoid the 21.2% cut effective January 1, 2010 will expire March 1, 2010 and thus the Senate must enact a separate SGR fix. Some members may be concerned that such an important health priority should have been included in a “health care” reform bill and that this change is simply a budget gimmick to eliminate the $11.3 billion cost of the patch.
Ø Contains a new form of a government-run plan. Although the government-run plan with a state-opt out has been removed, the Manager’s amendment still allows for the federal government through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), to run, oversee and “negotiate” with non-profit plans that must be available nationwide.
The Manager’s Amendment Language can be found at:
http://www.democrats.senate.gov/reform/managers-amendment.pdf
The CBO cost estimate can be found at:
http://cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10868
The JCT cost estimate can be found at:
http://www.jct.gov/publications.html?func=startdown&id=3641
Nelson offends pro-lifers and their principles
This is so offensive. It's okay with Sen. Ben Nelson for taxpayer dollars to will go toward abortions except in the states which opt out.
Babies: pray you are in a state which votes to opt out.
Even some pro-abortion Senators like Kay Bailey Hutchison don't want federal dollars going to abortions, but unless we take dramatic action to stop it, this Administration is pushing for federal dollars -- your and my tax dollars -- running our health care system, including paying for abortions. ObamaCare is coming.
The womb remains the most dangerous place in the US and anti-abortion folks are claiming victory if some states take action to avoid it taking place in their states. Shame on them.
Folks like Nelson have no principles at all!
Here are the facts: Last night at 10:30PM Sen. Ben Nelson reached agreement on an abortion compromise with Democratic leadership. The deal is that states will be permitted to opt-out of allowing federal funding for abortion through exchange subsidies by enacting a state law. Presumably, Nelson beleives Nebraska would opt-out and he is OK with federal funding of abortion as long as they aren't in his state.
Harry Reid introduced his 383 page manager's amendment today and it is currently being read on the Senate floor, which should take about 8 hours. It can be found here: http://bit.ly/6ekK0m
Unless we can find a Democrat to vote no, it looks like they are still pushing to have the first key cloture vote at 1 AM on Sunday night/Monday morning.
Voila - 1/6th of the US economy is in the hands of the government -- your health care is in the hands of the government -- more babies lives are in the hands of the government. They can call itg what it is - even without the "public option", we are putting a government bureaucrat between every American and their doctor -- if they can find a doctor.
Babies: pray you are in a state which votes to opt out.
Even some pro-abortion Senators like Kay Bailey Hutchison don't want federal dollars going to abortions, but unless we take dramatic action to stop it, this Administration is pushing for federal dollars -- your and my tax dollars -- running our health care system, including paying for abortions. ObamaCare is coming.
The womb remains the most dangerous place in the US and anti-abortion folks are claiming victory if some states take action to avoid it taking place in their states. Shame on them.
Folks like Nelson have no principles at all!
Here are the facts: Last night at 10:30PM Sen. Ben Nelson reached agreement on an abortion compromise with Democratic leadership. The deal is that states will be permitted to opt-out of allowing federal funding for abortion through exchange subsidies by enacting a state law. Presumably, Nelson beleives Nebraska would opt-out and he is OK with federal funding of abortion as long as they aren't in his state.
Harry Reid introduced his 383 page manager's amendment today and it is currently being read on the Senate floor, which should take about 8 hours. It can be found here: http://bit.ly/6ekK0m
Unless we can find a Democrat to vote no, it looks like they are still pushing to have the first key cloture vote at 1 AM on Sunday night/Monday morning.
Voila - 1/6th of the US economy is in the hands of the government -- your health care is in the hands of the government -- more babies lives are in the hands of the government. They can call itg what it is - even without the "public option", we are putting a government bureaucrat between every American and their doctor -- if they can find a doctor.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Earmarks, Bailouts, Stimulus spending, oh my!
Some things are like watching a train wreck in slow motion.
I am on the plan returning from a trip to Washington, DC attending the Code Red rally against a government-run health care program. (It was a huge success – over 5,000 people show up at a moment’s notice, then storm the Senate office buildings.)
I almost miss my plane, already on Texas time and thinking I had an hour I didn't have. I hear my name announced over the PA (never a good sign) and walked out of the news stand. I'm thinking now I may have forgotten to pay for my newspaper (wondering – how do I send them my money? I don't look good in orange jumpsuits) and open the Washington Times to see a story on earmarks. Earmarks!
Didn’t President Obama – then candidate Obama – promise to end such a practice? Didn’t he promise transparency? Didn’t he promise change? The only change I see is coming out of my pocket.
You might recall, we at AFP sponsored the Ending Earmarks Express tour a couple of years ago, traveling to such sites as the teapot museum (thanks, American taxpayers, for your generosity in funding that expansion) and see that Congress isn’t satisfied spending the stimulus money.
No, they are back at sharing our limited wealth – your tax dollars – with projects we don’t know about, won’t visit, and would rather not fund.
This time it is a library in Jamestown, S.C. The Washington Times reported this on the front page today. Seems Cong. James E. Clyburn got a request for $50,000 for a one-room library. That’s not enough, he must have thought, so he earmarked $100,000 for their computers and bookshelves. Being a congressman, he knows better than the head – likely only – librarian just what that library needs.
So Congress okays the $100,000 earmark – twice what was requested (which was likely twice what the librarian needed or expected.)
Then Congress proceeds to fund the Jamestown, CA library, not Jamestown, NC. It’s a small 2,700 mile geographic mistake.
So goes how our tax dollars are spent. Misspent. Wasted. All to buy votes and favor back home. All out of our hard-earned paychecks.
And we are even CONSIDERING the government running 1/6th of our economy -- our health care system. "This heart is earmarked for my constituent..." and it ends up several thousands of miles away -- going to the wrong person. I can picture it now, but I digress.
Ending earmarks? We need to launch that tour again. Here we are fighting to kill a government take-over of 1/6th of our US economy, fight to keep a bureaucrat from getting between you and your doctor, fight to stop capping our prosperity and sending our jobs to China, stop labor union thugs from bullying nonunion shops into organizing, and the list goes on.
Fellow Patriots, our work is cut out for us. Have a little Merriment, turkey and dressing, family frivolity and solemn celebration then be ready to start the new year with sleeves rolled up, recharged and reinvigorated.
But before we head off for the holiday, let's kill the bill. This is one train wreck we must avoid.
-- Peggy Venable
I am on the plan returning from a trip to Washington, DC attending the Code Red rally against a government-run health care program. (It was a huge success – over 5,000 people show up at a moment’s notice, then storm the Senate office buildings.)
I almost miss my plane, already on Texas time and thinking I had an hour I didn't have. I hear my name announced over the PA (never a good sign) and walked out of the news stand. I'm thinking now I may have forgotten to pay for my newspaper (wondering – how do I send them my money? I don't look good in orange jumpsuits) and open the Washington Times to see a story on earmarks. Earmarks!
Didn’t President Obama – then candidate Obama – promise to end such a practice? Didn’t he promise transparency? Didn’t he promise change? The only change I see is coming out of my pocket.
You might recall, we at AFP sponsored the Ending Earmarks Express tour a couple of years ago, traveling to such sites as the teapot museum (thanks, American taxpayers, for your generosity in funding that expansion) and see that Congress isn’t satisfied spending the stimulus money.
No, they are back at sharing our limited wealth – your tax dollars – with projects we don’t know about, won’t visit, and would rather not fund.
This time it is a library in Jamestown, S.C. The Washington Times reported this on the front page today. Seems Cong. James E. Clyburn got a request for $50,000 for a one-room library. That’s not enough, he must have thought, so he earmarked $100,000 for their computers and bookshelves. Being a congressman, he knows better than the head – likely only – librarian just what that library needs.
So Congress okays the $100,000 earmark – twice what was requested (which was likely twice what the librarian needed or expected.)
Then Congress proceeds to fund the Jamestown, CA library, not Jamestown, NC. It’s a small 2,700 mile geographic mistake.
So goes how our tax dollars are spent. Misspent. Wasted. All to buy votes and favor back home. All out of our hard-earned paychecks.
And we are even CONSIDERING the government running 1/6th of our economy -- our health care system. "This heart is earmarked for my constituent..." and it ends up several thousands of miles away -- going to the wrong person. I can picture it now, but I digress.
Ending earmarks? We need to launch that tour again. Here we are fighting to kill a government take-over of 1/6th of our US economy, fight to keep a bureaucrat from getting between you and your doctor, fight to stop capping our prosperity and sending our jobs to China, stop labor union thugs from bullying nonunion shops into organizing, and the list goes on.
Fellow Patriots, our work is cut out for us. Have a little Merriment, turkey and dressing, family frivolity and solemn celebration then be ready to start the new year with sleeves rolled up, recharged and reinvigorated.
But before we head off for the holiday, let's kill the bill. This is one train wreck we must avoid.
-- Peggy Venable
Nelson holds out, KBH folds on health care
As Nebraska Sen. Bill Nelson holds out, Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison folds.
Erick Erickson at RedState.com has shed some light on the latest setback on healthcare.
Kay Bailey Hutchison, much maligned for campaigning in Texas during the health care debate, boldly announced that she would go to Washington and stay there to fight health care and kill it dead.
Instead, today she accelerated it getting to the Senate floor in a bit of Senate gamesmanship.
Harry Reid decided to rush the Defense Appropriations bill to the floor of the Senate. He had an agreement from the Republicans to get it there quickly so it could be dispensed with and the health care debate could be accelerated.
After the Senate Democrats broke 200+ years of Senate rules interpretations last week to cut short the reading of Senator Sander’s amendment, the Senate Republicans backed out of their deal with the Democrats. The Senate GOP unanimously agreed to filibuster the Defense Appropriations bill thereby forcing the health care legislation to wait.
Even Olympia Snowe agreed.
But the Defense legislation had 1,719 earmark projects worth $7.6 billion in it, a good bit of it going to Texas.
So Kay Bailey Hutchison broke her word to the Senate GOP and voted with the Democrats, thereby ending any hope of obstructing Harry Reid’s intended vote on health care. Once Kay Bailey Hutchison jumped ship, Snowe and Collins followed.
Now we creep closer to a health care vote that may or may not accelerate socialism.
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2009/12/18/for-kay-bailey-hutchison-staying-in-washington-to-fight-health-care-means-expediting-its-passage/
Erick Erickson at RedState.com has shed some light on the latest setback on healthcare.
Kay Bailey Hutchison, much maligned for campaigning in Texas during the health care debate, boldly announced that she would go to Washington and stay there to fight health care and kill it dead.
Instead, today she accelerated it getting to the Senate floor in a bit of Senate gamesmanship.
Harry Reid decided to rush the Defense Appropriations bill to the floor of the Senate. He had an agreement from the Republicans to get it there quickly so it could be dispensed with and the health care debate could be accelerated.
After the Senate Democrats broke 200+ years of Senate rules interpretations last week to cut short the reading of Senator Sander’s amendment, the Senate Republicans backed out of their deal with the Democrats. The Senate GOP unanimously agreed to filibuster the Defense Appropriations bill thereby forcing the health care legislation to wait.
Even Olympia Snowe agreed.
But the Defense legislation had 1,719 earmark projects worth $7.6 billion in it, a good bit of it going to Texas.
So Kay Bailey Hutchison broke her word to the Senate GOP and voted with the Democrats, thereby ending any hope of obstructing Harry Reid’s intended vote on health care. Once Kay Bailey Hutchison jumped ship, Snowe and Collins followed.
Now we creep closer to a health care vote that may or may not accelerate socialism.
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2009/12/18/for-kay-bailey-hutchison-staying-in-washington-to-fight-health-care-means-expediting-its-passage/
Friday, December 11, 2009
The EPA lied and got called on the carpet
The following was among the public comments to the rulemaking process the EPA abused to issue the ruling that CO2 is a hazard.
On April 17, 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared that carbon dioxide (CO2) is a hazard to the health and welfare of Americans. That declaration is a lie.
As serious as this lie is itself, an equally serious matter is that an agency established to protect Americans has lied. This is an unforgivable breach of duty to the citizens of this great country.
Every human exhale contains CO2. Hazardous means dangerous. In effect, the EPA has declared that every human exhale is a danger to the health of humans.
Carbon dioxide is not a hazard to health. Quite the contrary, CO2 is beneficial to health. We could not live without CO2. Without CO2, sunlight and chlorophyll, there would be no photosynthesis to bring us trees, plants and the carbohydrates that we need to live.
Carbon dioxide is only a tiny fraction of the atmosphere, about 387 parts per million. About 97% of it is from nature, such as ocean warming and solar activity, over which humans can have absolutely no control. Humans would be extremely foolish to attempt to control the other 3% in any manner.
Seldon B. Graham, Jr., Austin, TX
On April 17, 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared that carbon dioxide (CO2) is a hazard to the health and welfare of Americans. That declaration is a lie.
As serious as this lie is itself, an equally serious matter is that an agency established to protect Americans has lied. This is an unforgivable breach of duty to the citizens of this great country.
Every human exhale contains CO2. Hazardous means dangerous. In effect, the EPA has declared that every human exhale is a danger to the health of humans.
Carbon dioxide is not a hazard to health. Quite the contrary, CO2 is beneficial to health. We could not live without CO2. Without CO2, sunlight and chlorophyll, there would be no photosynthesis to bring us trees, plants and the carbohydrates that we need to live.
Carbon dioxide is only a tiny fraction of the atmosphere, about 387 parts per million. About 97% of it is from nature, such as ocean warming and solar activity, over which humans can have absolutely no control. Humans would be extremely foolish to attempt to control the other 3% in any manner.
Seldon B. Graham, Jr., Austin, TX
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Americans for Prosperity Webcast
Yesterday's Americans for Prosperity Webcast from Copenhagen is available here!
The video features commentary on the climate change debate by:
-Tim Phillips, AFP President
-Lord Christopher Monckton, former adviser to Margaret Thatcher
-Steve Lonegan, New Jersey AFP Director
-Phil Kerpen, AFP Policy Director
-Wolfgang Müller, Institute for Free Enterprise
-A very excited Steve Moore
-And an interruption by your standard, run-of-the-mill environmental protesters
The video features commentary on the climate change debate by:
-Tim Phillips, AFP President
-Lord Christopher Monckton, former adviser to Margaret Thatcher
-Steve Lonegan, New Jersey AFP Director
-Phil Kerpen, AFP Policy Director
-Wolfgang Müller, Institute for Free Enterprise
-A very excited Steve Moore
-And an interruption by your standard, run-of-the-mill environmental protesters
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Jobs From Nowhere; Stimulus Checkup
We had a lot of fun with the nonexistent Congressional Districts and the jobs-from-nowhere hidden throughout recovery.gov. But with Pelosi and Obama talking about a second stimulus (through the rerouting of TARP funds), its time to point out some egregious failures in the first stimulus. Senators Coburn and McCain just released a document called "Stimulus Checkup" in which their staffs examined 100 projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Some of these stories are stunning and valuable talking points. I've read through the document and called out some of the better stories below, by state.
National
#4, p.7 -- Research to Develop Supersonic Corporate Jets ($4.7 million)
#12, p.15 -- Broadband Map that May be Obsolete by the Time It's Complete ($350 million)
#42, p.28 -- States Spend Big Bucks on Stimulus Highway Signs ($1.3 million)
#66, p.39 -- Youth Summer Jobs Program Fails to Put Kids to Work ($1.2 billion)
#72, p.41 -- Half of Stimulus Contracts Not Competitively Bid
Arizona
#50, p.32 -- Arizona Ants Work While Some Arizonans Remain Unemployed ($950,000)
#52, p.33 -- Firm with Tax Fraud, Pollution History Wins Road Contract ($21.8 million)
Arkansas
#31, p.24 -- Contemporary Art Sculpture: A Series of Giant Tubes ($13,000)
#54, p.33 -- Arkansas Teachers to Attend Education Conference ($413,124)
#89, p.49 -- School District Splurges on iPod Touches ($75,129)
California
#5, p.8 -- Water Pipeline to a Money-Losing Golf Course ($2.2 million)
#11, p.14 -- All Aboard the Wine Train ($54 million)
#37, p.26 -- Another Golf Course Gets Recycled Water ($831,700)
#49, p.31 -- California Gets Money to Upgrade Computer System...Twice ($60 million)
#71, p.41 -- Beautification of Hollywood's Sunset Strip ($1.1 million)
#73, p.41 -- Hollywood Entertainment Museum ($20,000)
Colorado
#35, p.25 -- Study of Wildflowers in a Ghost Town ($448,995)
#67. p.39 -- Colorado Climbing Gym Gets Renewable Energy Grant for Solar Panels ($157,800)
#68, p.40 -- Colorado Dragon Boat Festival ($10,000)
#96, p.52 -- Museum Receives Geothermal Grant after Hosting Stimulus Signing Ceremony ($2.6 million)
Georgia
#20, p.19 -- Repaved Georgia Road ... Getting Repaved Again ($88,000)
#27, p.22 -- County Agency Mismanages Millions, Gets Millions More ($11.9 million)
Illinois
#9, p.12 -- Dinner Cruise Company Gets Terrorism Prevention Money ($943,190)
Maryland
#28, p.23 -- Free Rides on a Water Taxi to Relieve Downtown Congestion ($1.6 million)
#85, p.47 -- Town Doesn't Know What to Do With Money ($25,000)
Missouri
#27, p.27 -- Martini Bar and Brazilian Steak House Remodeling ($100,000)
#63, p.37 -- Locals Plan Bridge Funding, Feds Insist on Paying ($5 million)
New Hampshire
#39, p. 27 -- New Hampshire Buys Buses it Doesn't Need ($2 million)
North Carolina
#21, p.19 -- Little-Used Bridge for Beachgoers Gets a Paint Job ($3.1 million)
#41, p.28 -- Stimulus-Funded Workers with No Work ($3.2 million)
#47, p.30 -- College Students Visit Costa Rica for Summer Studies ($564,635)
#58, p.35 -- "Math and Literacy Coaches" for North Carolina Teachers ($4.4 million)
#74, p.42 -- Controversial Helicopter Program Gets Stimulus Boost ($20,000)
Ohio
#92, p.50 -- Ohio Town to Turn Railroad Crossings into "Quiet Zone" ($800,000)
Oklahoma
#18, p.18 -- Oklahoma River Cruise Boats Get Transportation Funding ($1.8 million)
#59, p.36 -- OSU Professor to Study Alaska Native Grandparents ($1.1 million)
#99, p.54 -- Learning to Cooperate by Observing Birds ($90,000)
Oregon
#2, p.5 -- Renovations for Federal Building as Expensive as New Building ($133 million)
#38, p.26 -- Recovering Crab Pots Lost at Sea ($700,000)
#88, p.48 -- Removing Lead Paint from a Pedestrian Bridge ($3.5 million)
Texas
#32, p.24 -- Surf and Squat Rest Stop in Texas ($13.8 million)
#100, p.54 -- Climate-Controlled Water Taxis Get New Home ($750,000)
National
#4, p.7 -- Research to Develop Supersonic Corporate Jets ($4.7 million)
#12, p.15 -- Broadband Map that May be Obsolete by the Time It's Complete ($350 million)
#42, p.28 -- States Spend Big Bucks on Stimulus Highway Signs ($1.3 million)
#66, p.39 -- Youth Summer Jobs Program Fails to Put Kids to Work ($1.2 billion)
#72, p.41 -- Half of Stimulus Contracts Not Competitively Bid
Arizona
#50, p.32 -- Arizona Ants Work While Some Arizonans Remain Unemployed ($950,000)
#52, p.33 -- Firm with Tax Fraud, Pollution History Wins Road Contract ($21.8 million)
Arkansas
#31, p.24 -- Contemporary Art Sculpture: A Series of Giant Tubes ($13,000)
#54, p.33 -- Arkansas Teachers to Attend Education Conference ($413,124)
#89, p.49 -- School District Splurges on iPod Touches ($75,129)
California
#5, p.8 -- Water Pipeline to a Money-Losing Golf Course ($2.2 million)
#11, p.14 -- All Aboard the Wine Train ($54 million)
#37, p.26 -- Another Golf Course Gets Recycled Water ($831,700)
#49, p.31 -- California Gets Money to Upgrade Computer System...Twice ($60 million)
#71, p.41 -- Beautification of Hollywood's Sunset Strip ($1.1 million)
#73, p.41 -- Hollywood Entertainment Museum ($20,000)
Colorado
#35, p.25 -- Study of Wildflowers in a Ghost Town ($448,995)
#67. p.39 -- Colorado Climbing Gym Gets Renewable Energy Grant for Solar Panels ($157,800)
#68, p.40 -- Colorado Dragon Boat Festival ($10,000)
#96, p.52 -- Museum Receives Geothermal Grant after Hosting Stimulus Signing Ceremony ($2.6 million)
Georgia
#20, p.19 -- Repaved Georgia Road ... Getting Repaved Again ($88,000)
#27, p.22 -- County Agency Mismanages Millions, Gets Millions More ($11.9 million)
Illinois
#9, p.12 -- Dinner Cruise Company Gets Terrorism Prevention Money ($943,190)
Maryland
#28, p.23 -- Free Rides on a Water Taxi to Relieve Downtown Congestion ($1.6 million)
#85, p.47 -- Town Doesn't Know What to Do With Money ($25,000)
Missouri
#27, p.27 -- Martini Bar and Brazilian Steak House Remodeling ($100,000)
#63, p.37 -- Locals Plan Bridge Funding, Feds Insist on Paying ($5 million)
New Hampshire
#39, p. 27 -- New Hampshire Buys Buses it Doesn't Need ($2 million)
North Carolina
#21, p.19 -- Little-Used Bridge for Beachgoers Gets a Paint Job ($3.1 million)
#41, p.28 -- Stimulus-Funded Workers with No Work ($3.2 million)
#47, p.30 -- College Students Visit Costa Rica for Summer Studies ($564,635)
#58, p.35 -- "Math and Literacy Coaches" for North Carolina Teachers ($4.4 million)
#74, p.42 -- Controversial Helicopter Program Gets Stimulus Boost ($20,000)
Ohio
#92, p.50 -- Ohio Town to Turn Railroad Crossings into "Quiet Zone" ($800,000)
Oklahoma
#18, p.18 -- Oklahoma River Cruise Boats Get Transportation Funding ($1.8 million)
#59, p.36 -- OSU Professor to Study Alaska Native Grandparents ($1.1 million)
#99, p.54 -- Learning to Cooperate by Observing Birds ($90,000)
Oregon
#2, p.5 -- Renovations for Federal Building as Expensive as New Building ($133 million)
#38, p.26 -- Recovering Crab Pots Lost at Sea ($700,000)
#88, p.48 -- Removing Lead Paint from a Pedestrian Bridge ($3.5 million)
Texas
#32, p.24 -- Surf and Squat Rest Stop in Texas ($13.8 million)
#100, p.54 -- Climate-Controlled Water Taxis Get New Home ($750,000)
Monday, December 7, 2009
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Join us for the live simulcast from Copenhagen Wednesday from 11 am to 1 pm by going to www.AmericansforProsperity.org and you will find out that you are not alone as AFP goes global.
That's right, Dorothy, there is other intelligent life on this planet. Not only will AFP President Tim Phillips and AFP policy director Phil Kerpen be joined by Lord Monkton from the UK but also others from across the planet who are global warming skeptics and realists focused on the economy.
That's right, Dorothy, there is other intelligent life on this planet. Not only will AFP President Tim Phillips and AFP policy director Phil Kerpen be joined by Lord Monkton from the UK but also others from across the planet who are global warming skeptics and realists focused on the economy.
GLOBAL WHINERS SET TO LEAVE SIZEABLE CARBON FOOTPRINT
AFP has an online video with some of the 1,200 some-odd limos at the Copenhagen global whining conference…beep, beep. http://www.americansforprosperity.org/national-site
Add to that carbon footprint the 140 private jets landing there in Copenhagen and the 20,000 delegates jetting to Copenhagen from every corner of the earth, leaving a Sasquatch (or Texas Captain Watchdog Jason Moore)-sized carbon footprint.
In Copenhagen, our own President Obama will promise to reduce US emissions by 2050 to 83% below 2005 levels. Now, that would mean we’d go to the 1910 emissions levels when we had a population of 90 million.
By 2050, we anticipate a population of 420 million and that would equate to each individual’s “carbon footprint” being what it as in 1875 levels.
Thanks, President Obama – for attempting to cap our prosperity and trade our jobs to other countries.
Add to that carbon footprint the 140 private jets landing there in Copenhagen and the 20,000 delegates jetting to Copenhagen from every corner of the earth, leaving a Sasquatch (or Texas Captain Watchdog Jason Moore)-sized carbon footprint.
In Copenhagen, our own President Obama will promise to reduce US emissions by 2050 to 83% below 2005 levels. Now, that would mean we’d go to the 1910 emissions levels when we had a population of 90 million.
By 2050, we anticipate a population of 420 million and that would equate to each individual’s “carbon footprint” being what it as in 1875 levels.
Thanks, President Obama – for attempting to cap our prosperity and trade our jobs to other countries.
Cap and Trade talk by Seldon Graham
Kiwanis Club talk on Cap & Trade
December 7, 2009
by
Seldon B. Graham, Jr.
World War II veteran
Today is the 68th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. I am giving you the Private George E. Elliott, Jr. Memorial Commemorative message.
Private Elliott was the Army radar operator on Opana Mountain near Kahuku Point, the northern point of the island of Oahu on the morning of December 7, 1941. Private Elliott saw on radar a large group of aircraft rapidly approaching Oahu from the north 137 miles away at 7:02 a.m., 53 minutes before the first bomb fell on Pearl Harbor. He reported these facts to his headquarters at Fort Shafter.
His superior officers ignored Private Elliott’s facts. The reply from Fort Shafter was, “Don’t worry about it.” Had the military acted upon Private Elliott’s facts, there would have been plenty of time to have fighter aircraft in the air and all guns manned before the Japanese planes reached Pearl Harbor.
Disasters are caused by ignoring facts. Witness the recent massacre at Fort Hood. This morning, I am going to give you facts on energy. Please do not ignore facts which endanger our Country.
The word “Country” is one of the words in the three-word motto engraved on my ring which I have worn every day for nearly six decades. These three words are Duty, Honor, Country. Honor is for an honor code which requires me not to lie, cheat or steal, nor tolerate those who do. Duty requires me to defend my Country from lies. I do not tolerate those who lie. Nothing makes me angrier than those who lie to me, particularly those lies which hurt my Country.
I would like to offer 5 quotations which are particularly relevant to energy. Sophocles, over 2400 years ago, said, “What people believe prevails over the truth.” Mark Twain said, “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble; it’s the things you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s Propaganda Minister, said, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” Bernard Baruch said, “Every man has a right to be wrong in his opinions; but, no man has a right to be wrong in his facts.” To paraphrase Marilyn vos Savant: “Don’t argue; just provide facts to those having a different opinion from yours.” I do not intend to give an argument. I intend to provide facts.
The following are seven lies about energy. I don’t use the word “lies” lightly. A lie is a false statement made with the intent to deceive. If there is no intent to deceive, there is no lie. There are many more lies about energy than the ones I list, but these are seven critical lies causing billions of dollars in wasted federal taxpayer funds.
Lie No. 1. Carbon dioxide is a hazard to the health and welfare of Americans.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared this on April 17, 2009. It is a lie. The sad part is that it is an official government lie which is so obviously a lie.
The truth is that carbon dioxide is absolutely essential to the health and welfare of Americans. Without carbon dioxide, sunlight and chlorophyll, there would be no photosynthesis to bring us the trees, plants and carbohydrates we need to live.
Ocean warming and solar activity make up about 97% of the carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere and are clearly the big producers of carbon dioxide. The other 3% of the carbon dioxide in the air is from human and animal breath, carbonated beverages, yeast, dry ice, and burning fuel in fireplaces, barbecue grills, campfires, California wildfires, power plants and vehicles. Carbon dioxide from fossil fuel is only a tiny fraction in this 3% percent. According to the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center which only tracks this tiny fraction of this 3%, only 19% of that is from within the United States. That is an extremely small amount of fossil fuel emissions to cost two trillion dollars in the cap and trade scheme.
The sole purpose of this blatant lie about carbon dioxide by our government is to make the carbon dioxide emissions of “fossil fuel” and only “fossil fuel” a hazard to the health and welfare of Americans.
Lie No. 2. Fossil fuel is not radioactive, so that’s how we can tell fossil fuel is the cause of climate change.
John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (“Science Czar”) said this, paraphrased for clarity, at “The American Response to Climate Change,” Tupper Lake, New York, on June 25, 2008. It is a lie.
Carbon 14 is the rare radioactive isotope of carbon found in trace amounts in almost everything. Carbon 14 is one part per trillion of the carbon in the atmosphere. Cosmic particles, mainly protons, striking the upper atmosphere convert nitrogen into carbon 14 which quickly combines with oxygen to form radioactive carbon dioxide. It is this carbon 14 in radioactive carbon dioxide which is being measured in carbon dating.
The truth is that petroleum is a Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM). The Railroad Commission of Texas has a website,, which gives notice to the public that petroleum is a a NORM. Petroleum is a Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material and is not the cause of climate change.
All that you have to do to prove conclusively that the Science Czar is wrong is to check your natural gas meter with a Geiger counter.
Lie No. 3. The USA can "clean" the air by reducing carbon dioxide.
This is a lie for many reasons, the main one being that carbon dioxide is neither unclean nor unhealthy nor hazardous.
Lie No. 4. Alternative renewable biofuel is “clean” and therefore emits no carbon dioxide.
This is the position of the millions of so-called environmentalists who will financially benefit from alternative renewable biofuel. It is a lie.
The truth is that alternative renewable ethanol emits about a pound more of carbon dioxide into the air than a gallon of gasoline.
No matter what ethanol is made of, it only contains 76,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs) of energy which is only 61% of the energy in a gallon of gasoline. Therefore, alternative renewable ethanol gets such poor mileage that it takes 1.64 gallons of ethanol to do the same amount of work as a gallon of gasoline. This amount of alternative renewable ethanol emits about a pound more of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than a gallon of gasoline. Using alternative renewable biofuels emits more, not less, carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Alternative renewable biofuels are not “clean” where “clean” infers no carbon dioxide.
This is the insanity of carbon credits (which have already made Al Gore 700 million dollars). The public should get carbon credits for using gasoline insteady of high-carbon biofuel.
Lie No. 5. Alternative renewable fuels can replace oil.
This is said by millions of politicians and so-called environmentalists who want to eliminate oil. It is a lie.
The truth is that corn ethanol will require 12 more years of increased production in order to be able to produce only 15% of our current oil demand. Clearly, corn ethanol cannot replace oil.
The US simply does not have the crop land to produce enough alternative renewable fuel to replace oil. The corn crop land in the US is about the size of New Mexico, our 5th largest state. Using the size of New Mexico as a measurement, poplar tree chips would require an annual poplar forest twice the size of New Mexico to replace our current oil demand. Switchgrass would require 2.6 times, sugar cane would require 3.8 times, and palm oil 4.6 times the size of New Mexico. We do not have that much land for biofuel crops.
Algae would require a controlled chemical tank 1.5 times the size of New Mexico.
Lie No. 6. Compressed Natural Gas vehicles are safe.
This is said by those who benefit from the sale of CNG vehicles. It is a lie.
The truth is that natural gas is a highly explosive “fossil fuel” at about 3,000 pounds per square inch in CNG vehicles. CNG vehicles are Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) waiting for a terrorist to ignite the explosion.
Lie No. 7. Hydrogen vehicles are the answer to the energy problem.
This is said by those who benefit from the sale of hydrogen vehicles. It is a lie.
The truth is that hydrogen energy is always less than the energy required to manufacture hydrogen. Therefore, hydrogen vehicles waste energy.
In summary, remember the Private Elliott Memorial Commemorative warning message. Carbon dioxide is essential to your health and welfare. It is not a poisonous gas as the federal government would have you believe. Fossil fuel is not the cause of climate change. However, Mother Nature is a suspect and a “person of interest.” There is nothing dirty, unhealthy or hazardous about carbon dioxide. Air is not “cleaned” by reducing carbon dioxide. Alternative renewable biofuel emits more carbon dioxide into the air than gasoline and should not be called “clean.” The words “clean” and “green” should not be used together. Alternative renewable biofuel cannot replace oil. There is not enough crop land in the United States for biofuel to replace oil. CNG cars are IEDs. Hydrogen cars waste energy.
I have discussed only some of the lies which special interests spread to the great detriment of our Country and its citizens. It is ironic that the Copenhagen Climate Conference — to spread these energy lies globally — starts today, the same day as Pearl Harbor Day. Don’t forget Private Elliott’s warning. Disasters can be caused by ignoring facts.
December 7, 2009
by
Seldon B. Graham, Jr.
World War II veteran
Today is the 68th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. I am giving you the Private George E. Elliott, Jr. Memorial Commemorative message.
Private Elliott was the Army radar operator on Opana Mountain near Kahuku Point, the northern point of the island of Oahu on the morning of December 7, 1941. Private Elliott saw on radar a large group of aircraft rapidly approaching Oahu from the north 137 miles away at 7:02 a.m., 53 minutes before the first bomb fell on Pearl Harbor. He reported these facts to his headquarters at Fort Shafter.
His superior officers ignored Private Elliott’s facts. The reply from Fort Shafter was, “Don’t worry about it.” Had the military acted upon Private Elliott’s facts, there would have been plenty of time to have fighter aircraft in the air and all guns manned before the Japanese planes reached Pearl Harbor.
Disasters are caused by ignoring facts. Witness the recent massacre at Fort Hood. This morning, I am going to give you facts on energy. Please do not ignore facts which endanger our Country.
The word “Country” is one of the words in the three-word motto engraved on my ring which I have worn every day for nearly six decades. These three words are Duty, Honor, Country. Honor is for an honor code which requires me not to lie, cheat or steal, nor tolerate those who do. Duty requires me to defend my Country from lies. I do not tolerate those who lie. Nothing makes me angrier than those who lie to me, particularly those lies which hurt my Country.
I would like to offer 5 quotations which are particularly relevant to energy. Sophocles, over 2400 years ago, said, “What people believe prevails over the truth.” Mark Twain said, “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble; it’s the things you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s Propaganda Minister, said, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” Bernard Baruch said, “Every man has a right to be wrong in his opinions; but, no man has a right to be wrong in his facts.” To paraphrase Marilyn vos Savant: “Don’t argue; just provide facts to those having a different opinion from yours.” I do not intend to give an argument. I intend to provide facts.
The following are seven lies about energy. I don’t use the word “lies” lightly. A lie is a false statement made with the intent to deceive. If there is no intent to deceive, there is no lie. There are many more lies about energy than the ones I list, but these are seven critical lies causing billions of dollars in wasted federal taxpayer funds.
Lie No. 1. Carbon dioxide is a hazard to the health and welfare of Americans.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared this on April 17, 2009. It is a lie. The sad part is that it is an official government lie which is so obviously a lie.
The truth is that carbon dioxide is absolutely essential to the health and welfare of Americans. Without carbon dioxide, sunlight and chlorophyll, there would be no photosynthesis to bring us the trees, plants and carbohydrates we need to live.
Ocean warming and solar activity make up about 97% of the carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere and are clearly the big producers of carbon dioxide. The other 3% of the carbon dioxide in the air is from human and animal breath, carbonated beverages, yeast, dry ice, and burning fuel in fireplaces, barbecue grills, campfires, California wildfires, power plants and vehicles. Carbon dioxide from fossil fuel is only a tiny fraction in this 3% percent. According to the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center which only tracks this tiny fraction of this 3%, only 19% of that is from within the United States. That is an extremely small amount of fossil fuel emissions to cost two trillion dollars in the cap and trade scheme.
The sole purpose of this blatant lie about carbon dioxide by our government is to make the carbon dioxide emissions of “fossil fuel” and only “fossil fuel” a hazard to the health and welfare of Americans.
Lie No. 2. Fossil fuel is not radioactive, so that’s how we can tell fossil fuel is the cause of climate change.
John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (“Science Czar”) said this, paraphrased for clarity, at “The American Response to Climate Change,” Tupper Lake, New York, on June 25, 2008. It is a lie.
Carbon 14 is the rare radioactive isotope of carbon found in trace amounts in almost everything. Carbon 14 is one part per trillion of the carbon in the atmosphere. Cosmic particles, mainly protons, striking the upper atmosphere convert nitrogen into carbon 14 which quickly combines with oxygen to form radioactive carbon dioxide. It is this carbon 14 in radioactive carbon dioxide which is being measured in carbon dating.
The truth is that petroleum is a Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM). The Railroad Commission of Texas has a website,
All that you have to do to prove conclusively that the Science Czar is wrong is to check your natural gas meter with a Geiger counter.
Lie No. 3. The USA can "clean" the air by reducing carbon dioxide.
This is a lie for many reasons, the main one being that carbon dioxide is neither unclean nor unhealthy nor hazardous.
Lie No. 4. Alternative renewable biofuel is “clean” and therefore emits no carbon dioxide.
This is the position of the millions of so-called environmentalists who will financially benefit from alternative renewable biofuel. It is a lie.
The truth is that alternative renewable ethanol emits about a pound more of carbon dioxide into the air than a gallon of gasoline.
No matter what ethanol is made of, it only contains 76,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs) of energy which is only 61% of the energy in a gallon of gasoline. Therefore, alternative renewable ethanol gets such poor mileage that it takes 1.64 gallons of ethanol to do the same amount of work as a gallon of gasoline. This amount of alternative renewable ethanol emits about a pound more of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than a gallon of gasoline. Using alternative renewable biofuels emits more, not less, carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Alternative renewable biofuels are not “clean” where “clean” infers no carbon dioxide.
This is the insanity of carbon credits (which have already made Al Gore 700 million dollars). The public should get carbon credits for using gasoline insteady of high-carbon biofuel.
Lie No. 5. Alternative renewable fuels can replace oil.
This is said by millions of politicians and so-called environmentalists who want to eliminate oil. It is a lie.
The truth is that corn ethanol will require 12 more years of increased production in order to be able to produce only 15% of our current oil demand. Clearly, corn ethanol cannot replace oil.
The US simply does not have the crop land to produce enough alternative renewable fuel to replace oil. The corn crop land in the US is about the size of New Mexico, our 5th largest state. Using the size of New Mexico as a measurement, poplar tree chips would require an annual poplar forest twice the size of New Mexico to replace our current oil demand. Switchgrass would require 2.6 times, sugar cane would require 3.8 times, and palm oil 4.6 times the size of New Mexico. We do not have that much land for biofuel crops.
Algae would require a controlled chemical tank 1.5 times the size of New Mexico.
Lie No. 6. Compressed Natural Gas vehicles are safe.
This is said by those who benefit from the sale of CNG vehicles. It is a lie.
The truth is that natural gas is a highly explosive “fossil fuel” at about 3,000 pounds per square inch in CNG vehicles. CNG vehicles are Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) waiting for a terrorist to ignite the explosion.
Lie No. 7. Hydrogen vehicles are the answer to the energy problem.
This is said by those who benefit from the sale of hydrogen vehicles. It is a lie.
The truth is that hydrogen energy is always less than the energy required to manufacture hydrogen. Therefore, hydrogen vehicles waste energy.
In summary, remember the Private Elliott Memorial Commemorative warning message. Carbon dioxide is essential to your health and welfare. It is not a poisonous gas as the federal government would have you believe. Fossil fuel is not the cause of climate change. However, Mother Nature is a suspect and a “person of interest.” There is nothing dirty, unhealthy or hazardous about carbon dioxide. Air is not “cleaned” by reducing carbon dioxide. Alternative renewable biofuel emits more carbon dioxide into the air than gasoline and should not be called “clean.” The words “clean” and “green” should not be used together. Alternative renewable biofuel cannot replace oil. There is not enough crop land in the United States for biofuel to replace oil. CNG cars are IEDs. Hydrogen cars waste energy.
I have discussed only some of the lies which special interests spread to the great detriment of our Country and its citizens. It is ironic that the Copenhagen Climate Conference — to spread these energy lies globally — starts today, the same day as Pearl Harbor Day. Don’t forget Private Elliott’s warning. Disasters can be caused by ignoring facts.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Join AFP live from Copenhagen on Dec 9
The worst scientific scandal of our generation
President Obama is going to the UN climate conference in Copenhagen this next week – and will commit to cut emissions in the US. This, on the heels of the revelation that the science behind the assertion of global warming is bogus. Scientists have cherry picked the figures, cooked the numbers, made fools of the environmentalists who fell for global warming. The top scientist supporting global warming denies that the data is rigged even in the face of emails revealed this past week which confirmed the truth. No science can support the concept that man is causing global warming. Even while the science has been debunked, Obama is moving forward to cap our prosperity and trade our jobs to China.
On Wednesday, December 9, AFP will hold a live event from Copenhagen that will broadcast simultaneously in Houston at the Hilton Post Oak, 2001 Post Oak Blvd. and at local AFP events across the nation (as well as live at AmericanForProsperity.org.)
We'll detail the hypocrisy of the U.N. Climate Change Conference and give you the opportunity to send your elected officials a crystal clear message: don't you dare use this U.N. Conference to turn over our nation's energy policy to some international body that could care less about American prosperity.
The Houston event will be moderated by AFP-Texas Advisory Chairman Ben Streusand.
AFP President Tim Phillips and policy director Phil Kerpen will host the event in Copenhagen with Lord Monckton, former advisor to Margaret Thatcher (click here to join the 3.5 million people who have seen his video detailing how our nation could be threatened by international climate agreements) and other European free-market leaders who will detail the hypocrisy of this U.N. conference and explain how cap-and-trade has killed jobs and raised energy prices in their nations.
First let us know you will consider attending the FREE "Cost of Hot Air" event in Houston near you on December 9, where we'll have the Copenhagen event running live along with local speakers. CLICK HERE
Second, if you cannot attend one of the events, view it live at our AmericansforProsperity.org website or better yet, hold your own get-together for family and friends. CLICK HERE to do this.
What: Live Simulcast from the U.N. Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen with AFP President Tim Philips, AFP Policy Director Phil Kerpen and England's Lord Monckton to expose the hypocrisy of this U.N. conference and explain how cap-and-trade has killed jobs and raised energy prices in their nations.
When: 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec 9, 2009
Where: Hilton Post Oak, 2001 Post Oak Blvd. Houston, TX
For more info, visit www.americansforprosperity.org
President Obama is going to the UN climate conference in Copenhagen this next week – and will commit to cut emissions in the US. This, on the heels of the revelation that the science behind the assertion of global warming is bogus. Scientists have cherry picked the figures, cooked the numbers, made fools of the environmentalists who fell for global warming. The top scientist supporting global warming denies that the data is rigged even in the face of emails revealed this past week which confirmed the truth. No science can support the concept that man is causing global warming. Even while the science has been debunked, Obama is moving forward to cap our prosperity and trade our jobs to China.
On Wednesday, December 9, AFP will hold a live event from Copenhagen that will broadcast simultaneously in Houston at the Hilton Post Oak, 2001 Post Oak Blvd. and at local AFP events across the nation (as well as live at AmericanForProsperity.org.)
We'll detail the hypocrisy of the U.N. Climate Change Conference and give you the opportunity to send your elected officials a crystal clear message: don't you dare use this U.N. Conference to turn over our nation's energy policy to some international body that could care less about American prosperity.
The Houston event will be moderated by AFP-Texas Advisory Chairman Ben Streusand.
AFP President Tim Phillips and policy director Phil Kerpen will host the event in Copenhagen with Lord Monckton, former advisor to Margaret Thatcher (click here to join the 3.5 million people who have seen his video detailing how our nation could be threatened by international climate agreements) and other European free-market leaders who will detail the hypocrisy of this U.N. conference and explain how cap-and-trade has killed jobs and raised energy prices in their nations.
First let us know you will consider attending the FREE "Cost of Hot Air" event in Houston near you on December 9, where we'll have the Copenhagen event running live along with local speakers. CLICK HERE
Second, if you cannot attend one of the events, view it live at our AmericansforProsperity.org website or better yet, hold your own get-together for family and friends. CLICK HERE to do this.
What: Live Simulcast from the U.N. Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen with AFP President Tim Philips, AFP Policy Director Phil Kerpen and England's Lord Monckton to expose the hypocrisy of this U.N. conference and explain how cap-and-trade has killed jobs and raised energy prices in their nations.
When: 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec 9, 2009
Where: Hilton Post Oak, 2001 Post Oak Blvd. Houston, TX
For more info, visit www.americansforprosperity.org
Obama is bankrupting America
In “Read the Numbers: Obama Will Bankrupt America,” CNSNews.com Editor in Chief Terry Jeffrey explains that:
When President Barack Obama entered office in January, the greatest problem America faced was neither the war in Afghanistan nor the recession. It was the imminent crisis of the welfare state. Not only has Obama failed to deal with this crisis, he is pursuing policies that will bankrupt America.
The sum of the federal government’s unfunded liabilities (which includes all entitlement costs), a Peter G. Peterson Foundation discovered, stood at $56.4 trillion at the end of fiscal 2008. That equals $435,000 for every full-time worker in the United States.
Over the next decade, Obama’s plan would increase the national debt by a total of $7.137 trillion, running annual deficits averaging $713.7 billion per year.
If Obama succeeds in enacting his health care reform, he will move on to his plan for a “comprehensive immigration reform” that will put illegal aliens on a “pathway to citizenship”—making them eligible for the federal health care entitlement.
“If Obama succeeds, get ready for the crash. It is coming,” Jeffrey warns.
See full column: http://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/article/57896
When President Barack Obama entered office in January, the greatest problem America faced was neither the war in Afghanistan nor the recession. It was the imminent crisis of the welfare state. Not only has Obama failed to deal with this crisis, he is pursuing policies that will bankrupt America.
The sum of the federal government’s unfunded liabilities (which includes all entitlement costs), a Peter G. Peterson Foundation discovered, stood at $56.4 trillion at the end of fiscal 2008. That equals $435,000 for every full-time worker in the United States.
Over the next decade, Obama’s plan would increase the national debt by a total of $7.137 trillion, running annual deficits averaging $713.7 billion per year.
If Obama succeeds in enacting his health care reform, he will move on to his plan for a “comprehensive immigration reform” that will put illegal aliens on a “pathway to citizenship”—making them eligible for the federal health care entitlement.
“If Obama succeeds, get ready for the crash. It is coming,” Jeffrey warns.
See full column: http://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/article/57896
Join the global whining conference live from Copenhagen
Join us LIVE from Copenhagen:
UN Global Warming simulcast December 9th
On December 9, AFP will hold a live event from Copenhagen that will broadcast simultaneously in Houston at the Hilton Post Oak, 2001 Post Oak Blvd. and at local AFP events across the nation (as well as live at AmericanForProsperity.org.)
We'll detail the hypocrisy of the U.N. Climate Change Conference and give you the opportunity to send your elected officials a crystal clear message: don't you dare use this U.N. Conference to turn over our nation's energy policy to some international body that could care less about American prosperity.
The Houston event will be moderated by AFP-Texas Advisory Chairman Ben Streusand.
AFP President Tim Phillips and policy director Phil Kerpen will host the event in Copenhagen with Lord Monckton, former advisor to Margaret Thatcher (click here to join the 3.5 million people who have seen his video detailing how our nation could be threatened by international climate agreements) and other European free-market leaders who will detail the hypocrisy of this U.N. conference and explain how cap-and-trade has killed jobs and raised energy prices in their nations.
First let us know you will consider attending the FREE "Cost of Hot Air" event in Houston near you on December 9, where we'll have the Copenhagen event running live along with local speakers. CLICK HERE
Second, if you cannot attend one of the events, view it live at our AmericansforProsperity.org website or better yet, hold your own get-together for family and friends. CLICK HERE to do this.
What: Live Simulcast from the U.N. Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen with AFP President Tim Philips, AFP Policy Director Phil Kerpen and England's Lord Monckton to expose the hypocrisy of this U.N. conference and explain how cap-and-trade has killed jobs and raised energy prices in their nations.
When: 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec 9, 2009
Where: Hilton Post Oak, 2001 Post Oak Blvd. Houston, TX
For more info, visit www.americansforprosperity.org
UN Global Warming simulcast December 9th
On December 9, AFP will hold a live event from Copenhagen that will broadcast simultaneously in Houston at the Hilton Post Oak, 2001 Post Oak Blvd. and at local AFP events across the nation (as well as live at AmericanForProsperity.org.)
We'll detail the hypocrisy of the U.N. Climate Change Conference and give you the opportunity to send your elected officials a crystal clear message: don't you dare use this U.N. Conference to turn over our nation's energy policy to some international body that could care less about American prosperity.
The Houston event will be moderated by AFP-Texas Advisory Chairman Ben Streusand.
AFP President Tim Phillips and policy director Phil Kerpen will host the event in Copenhagen with Lord Monckton, former advisor to Margaret Thatcher (click here to join the 3.5 million people who have seen his video detailing how our nation could be threatened by international climate agreements) and other European free-market leaders who will detail the hypocrisy of this U.N. conference and explain how cap-and-trade has killed jobs and raised energy prices in their nations.
First let us know you will consider attending the FREE "Cost of Hot Air" event in Houston near you on December 9, where we'll have the Copenhagen event running live along with local speakers. CLICK HERE
Second, if you cannot attend one of the events, view it live at our AmericansforProsperity.org website or better yet, hold your own get-together for family and friends. CLICK HERE to do this.
What: Live Simulcast from the U.N. Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen with AFP President Tim Philips, AFP Policy Director Phil Kerpen and England's Lord Monckton to expose the hypocrisy of this U.N. conference and explain how cap-and-trade has killed jobs and raised energy prices in their nations.
When: 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec 9, 2009
Where: Hilton Post Oak, 2001 Post Oak Blvd. Houston, TX
For more info, visit www.americansforprosperity.org
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Texas Comptroller Promotes Government Transparency
Tyler and Smith County entities
recognized for promoting fiscal transparency
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Susan Combs has introduced her agency’s Leadership Circle program to recognize local governments across Texas striving to meet a high standard for financial transparency online. The Comptroller’s office is spotlighting local governments that have opened their books to the public in order to provide clear pictures of spending and share information in a user-friendly format that provides taxpayers more information.
Americans for Prosperity advocates transparency in government spending and taxation and applauds Comptroller Combs for her leadership in promoting transparency in government programs.
“Government is here to serve the people, not the other way around,” said Peggy Venable, AFP-Texas Director. “We are excited about the progress local governments are making and will closely follow and support the Comptroller’s efforts.
The Comptroller’s office has been working to encourage cities, towns, counties, school districts and every government entity across Texas to open their financial records. The agency has developed a free, self-scoring process verified by the Local Government Assistance Division to recognize taxing entities’ transparency efforts.
The “Gold” designation in the Leadership Circle highlights local governments that set the bar for financial transparency, open their books to the public and set a strong example for other governmental entities to follow. The “Silver” designation encourages entities making continued progress toward achieving financial transparency, while “Bronze” inspires those just beginning their efforts and taking the first steps toward achieving financial transparency.
The city of Tyler, Smith County and the Tyler Independent School District (ISD) received the gold designation. Arp ISD and Chapel Hill ISD, both within Smith County, received the bronze designation. Combs says financial transparency should be an ongoing goal for any government entity.
To find out more about the awards , go to: http://www.window.state.tx.us/news2009/091202-transparency.html and for more information on the Comptroller’s program, visit www.window.state.tx.us/comptrol/checkup/.
recognized for promoting fiscal transparency
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Susan Combs has introduced her agency’s Leadership Circle program to recognize local governments across Texas striving to meet a high standard for financial transparency online. The Comptroller’s office is spotlighting local governments that have opened their books to the public in order to provide clear pictures of spending and share information in a user-friendly format that provides taxpayers more information.
Americans for Prosperity advocates transparency in government spending and taxation and applauds Comptroller Combs for her leadership in promoting transparency in government programs.
“Government is here to serve the people, not the other way around,” said Peggy Venable, AFP-Texas Director. “We are excited about the progress local governments are making and will closely follow and support the Comptroller’s efforts.
The Comptroller’s office has been working to encourage cities, towns, counties, school districts and every government entity across Texas to open their financial records. The agency has developed a free, self-scoring process verified by the Local Government Assistance Division to recognize taxing entities’ transparency efforts.
The “Gold” designation in the Leadership Circle highlights local governments that set the bar for financial transparency, open their books to the public and set a strong example for other governmental entities to follow. The “Silver” designation encourages entities making continued progress toward achieving financial transparency, while “Bronze” inspires those just beginning their efforts and taking the first steps toward achieving financial transparency.
The city of Tyler, Smith County and the Tyler Independent School District (ISD) received the gold designation. Arp ISD and Chapel Hill ISD, both within Smith County, received the bronze designation. Combs says financial transparency should be an ongoing goal for any government entity.
To find out more about the awards , go to: http://www.window.state.tx.us/news2009/091202-transparency.html and for more information on the Comptroller’s program, visit www.window.state.tx.us/comptrol/checkup/.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Let the Death Tax Rest In Peace!
Updated December 02, 2009
By Phil Kerpen
- FOXNews.com
The death tax is fundamentally a moral issue. Americans do not believe that death should be a taxable event.
While the Senate is busy debating a Washington takeover of health care this week, the House will consider outrageous legislation that is getting much less attention: a bill to keep the death tax and make it permanent. The bill, H.R. 4154, would bring the death tax back to life less than a month before its scheduled repeal at the end of this calendar year.
Back in 2001 Congress repealed the death tax with a long phase-out that finally ends this year. Because of a Democratic filibuster, they could only pass the repeal temporarily, for one year in 2010, before the tax returns in full force in 2011. The political calculation was that once the tax finally reached repeal, it would be very difficult to bring it back, especially in an election year. That’s exactly why Democrats are now trying to make the death tax permanent now, with the clock ticking down to repeal on January 1.
The death tax is fundamentally a moral issue. Americans do not believe that death should be a taxable event. The Founders of our country believed this so strongly that they included a clause in the U.S. Constitution that forbids seizing an estate at death as a punishment for treason. Yet we now have a majority party that thinks it’s appropriate to take up to 45 percent of everything a person leaves to his children as a punishment for success, for achieving the American Dream.
The death tax punishes virtue and rewards vice. It tells older Americans: "You can't take it with you, and you can't leave it to your kids." So it discourages the traditional American virtues of hard work and thrift, savings, and investment, while it encourages lavish, reckless consumption.
Morality aside, the tax is bad economics. A new study conducted by former Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin for the American Family Business Foundation quantifies the economic damage wrought by the death tax, finding that repealing the tax would create 1.5 million new small business jobs. Dr. Holtz-Eakin found that repealing the tax would increase small business capital by more than $1.6 trillion, expand payrolls by 2.6 percent, and shave 0.9 percent from the unemployment rate.
With numbers like that, repealing the death tax should be at the top of the “jobs agenda” for the White House and Congress. Instead we see a rush to reverse the scheduled repeal and keep the tax permanently. It’s not because of the cost—the tax is almost certainly a net revenue loser for the federal government, with many studies showing that the revenue increases from other taxes would more than offset the costs of full and permanent death tax repeal.
The only real winners in the push for H.R. 4154 to keep the death tax permanently are the life insurance industry, which makes a fortune selling life insurance policies to families who have no other way to pay the tax without losing the family business. A study by Palmer Schoening of the American Family Business Foundation found that the life insurance industry books about $15 billion a year in premium revenue as a result of the death tax, and has spent upwards of $22 million this year alone lobbying Congress to keep the death tax. They also made hefty campaign contributions to all of the key players, including House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel of New York and Earl Pomeroy, the North Dakota Congressman who is the lead sponsor of H.R. 4154.
The bottom line is the death tax is morally and economically bankrupt, and the effort to keep it permanently, when we are just weeks from it finally being repealed, must be defeated. With all the taxes being proposed lately it sometimes feels like Washington wants to tax us to death. They should at least be so kind as to allow death itself not to be a taxable event.
Mr. Kerpen is director of policy for Americans for Prosperity. He can be contacted through Phil Kerpen.com. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. His free two-minute Podcast is available daily.
By Phil Kerpen
- FOXNews.com
The death tax is fundamentally a moral issue. Americans do not believe that death should be a taxable event.
While the Senate is busy debating a Washington takeover of health care this week, the House will consider outrageous legislation that is getting much less attention: a bill to keep the death tax and make it permanent. The bill, H.R. 4154, would bring the death tax back to life less than a month before its scheduled repeal at the end of this calendar year.
Back in 2001 Congress repealed the death tax with a long phase-out that finally ends this year. Because of a Democratic filibuster, they could only pass the repeal temporarily, for one year in 2010, before the tax returns in full force in 2011. The political calculation was that once the tax finally reached repeal, it would be very difficult to bring it back, especially in an election year. That’s exactly why Democrats are now trying to make the death tax permanent now, with the clock ticking down to repeal on January 1.
The death tax is fundamentally a moral issue. Americans do not believe that death should be a taxable event. The Founders of our country believed this so strongly that they included a clause in the U.S. Constitution that forbids seizing an estate at death as a punishment for treason. Yet we now have a majority party that thinks it’s appropriate to take up to 45 percent of everything a person leaves to his children as a punishment for success, for achieving the American Dream.
The death tax punishes virtue and rewards vice. It tells older Americans: "You can't take it with you, and you can't leave it to your kids." So it discourages the traditional American virtues of hard work and thrift, savings, and investment, while it encourages lavish, reckless consumption.
Morality aside, the tax is bad economics. A new study conducted by former Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin for the American Family Business Foundation quantifies the economic damage wrought by the death tax, finding that repealing the tax would create 1.5 million new small business jobs. Dr. Holtz-Eakin found that repealing the tax would increase small business capital by more than $1.6 trillion, expand payrolls by 2.6 percent, and shave 0.9 percent from the unemployment rate.
With numbers like that, repealing the death tax should be at the top of the “jobs agenda” for the White House and Congress. Instead we see a rush to reverse the scheduled repeal and keep the tax permanently. It’s not because of the cost—the tax is almost certainly a net revenue loser for the federal government, with many studies showing that the revenue increases from other taxes would more than offset the costs of full and permanent death tax repeal.
The only real winners in the push for H.R. 4154 to keep the death tax permanently are the life insurance industry, which makes a fortune selling life insurance policies to families who have no other way to pay the tax without losing the family business. A study by Palmer Schoening of the American Family Business Foundation found that the life insurance industry books about $15 billion a year in premium revenue as a result of the death tax, and has spent upwards of $22 million this year alone lobbying Congress to keep the death tax. They also made hefty campaign contributions to all of the key players, including House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel of New York and Earl Pomeroy, the North Dakota Congressman who is the lead sponsor of H.R. 4154.
The bottom line is the death tax is morally and economically bankrupt, and the effort to keep it permanently, when we are just weeks from it finally being repealed, must be defeated. With all the taxes being proposed lately it sometimes feels like Washington wants to tax us to death. They should at least be so kind as to allow death itself not to be a taxable event.
Mr. Kerpen is director of policy for Americans for Prosperity. He can be contacted through Phil Kerpen.com. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. His free two-minute Podcast is available daily.
AFP goes global - Hot Air tour heads to Copenhagen
Americans for Prosperity Goes Global With Hot Air Tour
‘LIVE from Copenhagen’ Webcast to Combat U.N. Conference’s Energy-Rationing Agenda
Grassroots events in U.S. will watch live Dec. 9 Webcast from Copenhagen Climate Conference
ARLINGTON, Va. – Americans for Prosperity will extend its Hot Air Tour, which has exposed the “ballooning” cost of global warming alarmism across the United States, worldwide on December 9. AFP President Tim Phillips and Policy Director Phil Kerpen will broadcast LIVE from Copenhagen to report on the U.N. Climate Change Conference the same day President Obama is attending.
AFP’s more than 75 Hot Air Tour events thus far, complete with a hot air balloon, have focused on congressional attempts to tax and ration Americans’ energy usage in the name of global warming. Now, AFP goes abroad to “U.N.-mask international global warming alarmism.”
“President Obama has said he will promise massive cuts in U.S. carbon emissions at this conference, and that would mean massive tax hikes on American families,” said Tim Phillips, president of AFP. “Bowing to international ‘green’ pressure would increase economic hardship for taxpayers trying to heat their homes and drive to work. The last thing we should be doing is punishing working families and killing jobs.”
Americans can watch the Webcast live in their homes, on their lunch breaks, or at a grassroots event in their own states. The primary U.S. event will be held in Philadelphia, Pa. For details on events in other states and upcoming details on coalition partners for the event, please visit http://americansforprosperity.org/120209-hot-air-tour-live-copenhagen
Event Details:
Hot Air Tour: LIVE from Copenhagen!
U.N.-masking International Global Warming Alarmism
Copenhagen: 6-8 p.m. local time - 11 am to 1 pm TX time
Webcasting from the Copenhagen Marriott
5 Kalvebod Brygge, Copenhagen, DK-1560 Denmark
*Speakers: Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity
Phil Kerpen, policy director of Americans for Prosperity
Lord Monckton, former policy adviser to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Wolfgang Müller, Institute for Free Enterprise (Berlin)
Events are being planned in Colorado, Missouri, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Virginia, Wisconsin, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio and New York. Please visit http://americansforprosperity.org/120209-hot-air-tour-live-copenhagen for updates.
‘LIVE from Copenhagen’ Webcast to Combat U.N. Conference’s Energy-Rationing Agenda
Grassroots events in U.S. will watch live Dec. 9 Webcast from Copenhagen Climate Conference
ARLINGTON, Va. – Americans for Prosperity will extend its Hot Air Tour, which has exposed the “ballooning” cost of global warming alarmism across the United States, worldwide on December 9. AFP President Tim Phillips and Policy Director Phil Kerpen will broadcast LIVE from Copenhagen to report on the U.N. Climate Change Conference the same day President Obama is attending.
AFP’s more than 75 Hot Air Tour events thus far, complete with a hot air balloon, have focused on congressional attempts to tax and ration Americans’ energy usage in the name of global warming. Now, AFP goes abroad to “U.N.-mask international global warming alarmism.”
“President Obama has said he will promise massive cuts in U.S. carbon emissions at this conference, and that would mean massive tax hikes on American families,” said Tim Phillips, president of AFP. “Bowing to international ‘green’ pressure would increase economic hardship for taxpayers trying to heat their homes and drive to work. The last thing we should be doing is punishing working families and killing jobs.”
Americans can watch the Webcast live in their homes, on their lunch breaks, or at a grassroots event in their own states. The primary U.S. event will be held in Philadelphia, Pa. For details on events in other states and upcoming details on coalition partners for the event, please visit http://americansforprosperity.org/120209-hot-air-tour-live-copenhagen
Event Details:
Hot Air Tour: LIVE from Copenhagen!
U.N.-masking International Global Warming Alarmism
Copenhagen: 6-8 p.m. local time - 11 am to 1 pm TX time
Webcasting from the Copenhagen Marriott
5 Kalvebod Brygge, Copenhagen, DK-1560 Denmark
*Speakers: Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity
Phil Kerpen, policy director of Americans for Prosperity
Lord Monckton, former policy adviser to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Wolfgang Müller, Institute for Free Enterprise (Berlin)
Events are being planned in Colorado, Missouri, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Virginia, Wisconsin, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio and New York. Please visit http://americansforprosperity.org/120209-hot-air-tour-live-copenhagen for updates.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Nullify ObamaCare - hands off my healthcare
Last night AFP-Texas had a standing-room-only crowd for a health care townhall meeting in Austin. One question on the minds of many attending, was: what can we do?
We Texans are lucky that our Senators are opposing a government-run health care system take-over. They don’t want a bureaucrat between you and your doctor. So we can say “thanks” to them while we talk to everyone we know in other states, encouraging them to call their US Senators and say “hands off my healthcare”.
Some 13 states are taking it a step further. They are pre-filing and considering legislation for nullification of ObamaCare, should it pass. What a great idea – and one which Republican gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina has been promoting here in Texas. - Peggy V.
Here is the bill text from Arizona: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/1r/bills/hcr2014h.pdf
And below is a press release that summarizes the bill:
PHOENIX, Arizona (June 22, 2009) — The Arizona Legislature today passed a bill that refers the Health Care Freedom Act (H.C.R. 2014) to the November 2010 ballot.
The Health Care Freedom Act will ensure Arizona residents may pay directly for any legal health services and choose not to participate in a government or privately run health care system.
“Protecting the rights of individuals to be in control of their health and health care must be a fundamental component of health care reform, so the Arizona legislature is to be congratulated for giving all Arizonans the opportunity to make certain our voices are heard,” said Dr. Eric Novack, Chairman, Arizonans for Health Care Freedom.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Nancy Barto, will be placed on the ballot as a referendum.
The Healthcare Freedom Bill provides for two fundamental rights:
1. The right to spend your own money to seek out and receive health care services that are otherwise legal.
2. The right to choose NOT to participate in any health care system, of any type.
The basic aim is straightforward: while nearly everyone agrees that some changes are necessary in our health care system in the United States, supporters of the bill believe very strongly that the rights of individuals to make their own health care decisions must be protected. In other words, individual freedom should be the starting point from whichhealth care reform should be considered.
“Representative Barto, Chairman of the House Health and Human Service Committee and Senator Allen, Chairman of the Senate Health and Medical Liability Reform Committee along with Senate President Bob Burns and Speaker Kirk Adams are all champions of freedom,” Novack said. “Their long-term vision may save us untold grief with the uncertainty of what the federal government might soon do regarding the healthcare system in the United States.”
The Health Care Freedom Act incorporates some of the same principles as Proposition 101 in the November 2008 election, the Freedom of Choice in Healthcare Act, which lost by less than 9,000 votes. However, the Health Care Freedom Act is designed to provide additional clarification and address issues raised during the campaign and the legislative process.
Specifically, the Health Care Freedom Act contains more concise language, developed with significant input from many stakeholders, including AHCCCS, to protect our state’s safety nethealth care system, workers’ compensation rights, and Medicare beneficiaries.
Dr. Novack went on to the state that the people of Arizona have been well served in this area because rarely does a state legislature have the opportunity to get ahead of an oncoming tidal wave.
“Since we do not know, but have many hints, as to what may be legislated by the federal government, HCR 2014 is the most significant thing any legislature could do to protect the rights of the individual regarding personal choices in their health care decisions,” Novack said. “We are confident that the people of Arizona will vote to ensure their own rights and support the Health Care Freedom Act.”
Dr. Novack will testify, Tuesday, June 23, 2009 in the U.S. House of Representatives, Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health.
We Texans are lucky that our Senators are opposing a government-run health care system take-over. They don’t want a bureaucrat between you and your doctor. So we can say “thanks” to them while we talk to everyone we know in other states, encouraging them to call their US Senators and say “hands off my healthcare”.
Some 13 states are taking it a step further. They are pre-filing and considering legislation for nullification of ObamaCare, should it pass. What a great idea – and one which Republican gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina has been promoting here in Texas. - Peggy V.
Here is the bill text from Arizona: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/1r/bills/hcr2014h.pdf
And below is a press release that summarizes the bill:
PHOENIX, Arizona (June 22, 2009) — The Arizona Legislature today passed a bill that refers the Health Care Freedom Act (H.C.R. 2014) to the November 2010 ballot.
The Health Care Freedom Act will ensure Arizona residents may pay directly for any legal health services and choose not to participate in a government or privately run health care system.
“Protecting the rights of individuals to be in control of their health and health care must be a fundamental component of health care reform, so the Arizona legislature is to be congratulated for giving all Arizonans the opportunity to make certain our voices are heard,” said Dr. Eric Novack, Chairman, Arizonans for Health Care Freedom.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Nancy Barto, will be placed on the ballot as a referendum.
The Healthcare Freedom Bill provides for two fundamental rights:
1. The right to spend your own money to seek out and receive health care services that are otherwise legal.
2. The right to choose NOT to participate in any health care system, of any type.
The basic aim is straightforward: while nearly everyone agrees that some changes are necessary in our health care system in the United States, supporters of the bill believe very strongly that the rights of individuals to make their own health care decisions must be protected. In other words, individual freedom should be the starting point from whichhealth care reform should be considered.
“Representative Barto, Chairman of the House Health and Human Service Committee and Senator Allen, Chairman of the Senate Health and Medical Liability Reform Committee along with Senate President Bob Burns and Speaker Kirk Adams are all champions of freedom,” Novack said. “Their long-term vision may save us untold grief with the uncertainty of what the federal government might soon do regarding the healthcare system in the United States.”
The Health Care Freedom Act incorporates some of the same principles as Proposition 101 in the November 2008 election, the Freedom of Choice in Healthcare Act, which lost by less than 9,000 votes. However, the Health Care Freedom Act is designed to provide additional clarification and address issues raised during the campaign and the legislative process.
Specifically, the Health Care Freedom Act contains more concise language, developed with significant input from many stakeholders, including AHCCCS, to protect our state’s safety nethealth care system, workers’ compensation rights, and Medicare beneficiaries.
Dr. Novack went on to the state that the people of Arizona have been well served in this area because rarely does a state legislature have the opportunity to get ahead of an oncoming tidal wave.
“Since we do not know, but have many hints, as to what may be legislated by the federal government, HCR 2014 is the most significant thing any legislature could do to protect the rights of the individual regarding personal choices in their health care decisions,” Novack said. “We are confident that the people of Arizona will vote to ensure their own rights and support the Health Care Freedom Act.”
Dr. Novack will testify, Tuesday, June 23, 2009 in the U.S. House of Representatives, Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health.
AFP will take you to Copenhagen for historic global warming conference
In 8 days President Barack Obama will go to Copenhagen, Denmark for the United Nations Climate Change Conference. No doubt, the President intends to commit the United States to an energy rationing scheme that makes the U.S. accountable to U.N. bureaucrats, kills jobs here, dramatically raises the price of gasoline and electricity, and infringes on our personal and national freedoms -- all in the name of a radical global warming ideology that is called into question more and more each day.
As part of our ongoing "Cost of Hot Air" effort, Americans for Prosperity is going to Copenhagen on the same day as the President to make sure that our side of the story is told.
On December 9, AFP will hold a live event from Copenhagen that will broadcast simultaneously at local AFP events across the nation and live at AmericanForProsperity.org. We'll detail the hypocrisy of the U.N. Climate Change Conference and give you the opportunity to send your elected officials a crystal clear message: don't you dare use this U.N. Conference to turn over our nation's energy policy to some international body that could care less about American prosperity.
Phil Kerpen and I will be in Copenhagen hosting an event with Lord Monckton (click here to join the 3.5 million people who have seen his video detailing how our nation could be threatened by international climate agreements) and other European free-market leaders who will detail the hypocrisy of this U.N. conference and explain how cap-and-trade has killed jobs and raised energy prices in their nations.
The anchor event in the United States will be held in Philadelphia at noon that day with AFP's own Steven Lonegan hosting and special guest speaker Steve Moore (FOX News contributor and Wall Street Journal editorial board writer). We'll have more details about these events -- and how you can attend -- within the next few days.
I'm asking you to take 3 steps.
First, let us know you will consider attending one of the FREE "Cost of Hot Air" events near you on December 9, where we'll have the Copenhagen event running live along with local speakers.
Second, if you cannot attend one of the events, view it live at our AmericansforProsperity.org website or better yet, hold your own get-together for family and friends.
Third, please consider sending this email invitation on to your family and friends. We need to make sure the politicians in Washington know that Americans are closely watching the cap-and-trade issue and that the U.N. Conference in Copenhagen changes absolutely nothing.
You've no doubt seen the ClimateGate email scandal that's exploded since a whistle blower in the United Kingdom exposed emails and files showing just how unethical and outrageous the behavior of global warming ideologues has been. They've tried to censor scientists who disagree with them on global warming. They've tried to suppress -and conveniently lost track of -data that contradicts their ideology. They've personally vilified opponents instead of engaging them on the actual issues. All this sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it? But this time, it's being done by scientists instead of politicians.
We're going to be in Copenhagen on December 9 with President Obama -- telling the real story and making sure our Senators see American citizens taking a stand against outsourcing U.S. energy policy to an international body.
But, to accomplish this goal we need your help. And, as always, there’s a high cost associated with this kind of activism. Click here to invest in this battle today. Thank you for all you do.
Tim Phillips, AFP President
PS: Our "Cost of Hot Air" events across the United States on December 9 are our last opportunity in 2009 to send the politicians a message on cap-and-trade -- on the very day that President Obama will be in Copenhagen at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Get involved and let's make sure they know that the choice for them is clear: side with Americans determined to keep our nation in charge of our own energy policy and economy OR side with U.N. bureaucrats and the extreme Left, which wants to use this conference to get the United States to agree to binding energy rationing limits that will kill jobs, raise gasoline and utility prices and take away many of our freedoms.
Like what Americans for Prosperity is doing? Invest in our work by clicking here. We're supported by our more than 800,000 citizen-activists nationwide. Your contribution in any amount will go a long way in promoting free-market policies at all levels of government - local, state and federal. Thanks!
For assistance and more information, email info@afptx.org
As part of our ongoing "Cost of Hot Air" effort, Americans for Prosperity is going to Copenhagen on the same day as the President to make sure that our side of the story is told.
On December 9, AFP will hold a live event from Copenhagen that will broadcast simultaneously at local AFP events across the nation and live at AmericanForProsperity.org. We'll detail the hypocrisy of the U.N. Climate Change Conference and give you the opportunity to send your elected officials a crystal clear message: don't you dare use this U.N. Conference to turn over our nation's energy policy to some international body that could care less about American prosperity.
Phil Kerpen and I will be in Copenhagen hosting an event with Lord Monckton (click here to join the 3.5 million people who have seen his video detailing how our nation could be threatened by international climate agreements) and other European free-market leaders who will detail the hypocrisy of this U.N. conference and explain how cap-and-trade has killed jobs and raised energy prices in their nations.
The anchor event in the United States will be held in Philadelphia at noon that day with AFP's own Steven Lonegan hosting and special guest speaker Steve Moore (FOX News contributor and Wall Street Journal editorial board writer). We'll have more details about these events -- and how you can attend -- within the next few days.
I'm asking you to take 3 steps.
First, let us know you will consider attending one of the FREE "Cost of Hot Air" events near you on December 9, where we'll have the Copenhagen event running live along with local speakers.
Second, if you cannot attend one of the events, view it live at our AmericansforProsperity.org website or better yet, hold your own get-together for family and friends.
Third, please consider sending this email invitation on to your family and friends. We need to make sure the politicians in Washington know that Americans are closely watching the cap-and-trade issue and that the U.N. Conference in Copenhagen changes absolutely nothing.
You've no doubt seen the ClimateGate email scandal that's exploded since a whistle blower in the United Kingdom exposed emails and files showing just how unethical and outrageous the behavior of global warming ideologues has been. They've tried to censor scientists who disagree with them on global warming. They've tried to suppress -and conveniently lost track of -data that contradicts their ideology. They've personally vilified opponents instead of engaging them on the actual issues. All this sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it? But this time, it's being done by scientists instead of politicians.
We're going to be in Copenhagen on December 9 with President Obama -- telling the real story and making sure our Senators see American citizens taking a stand against outsourcing U.S. energy policy to an international body.
But, to accomplish this goal we need your help. And, as always, there’s a high cost associated with this kind of activism. Click here to invest in this battle today. Thank you for all you do.
Tim Phillips, AFP President
PS: Our "Cost of Hot Air" events across the United States on December 9 are our last opportunity in 2009 to send the politicians a message on cap-and-trade -- on the very day that President Obama will be in Copenhagen at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Get involved and let's make sure they know that the choice for them is clear: side with Americans determined to keep our nation in charge of our own energy policy and economy OR side with U.N. bureaucrats and the extreme Left, which wants to use this conference to get the United States to agree to binding energy rationing limits that will kill jobs, raise gasoline and utility prices and take away many of our freedoms.
Like what Americans for Prosperity is doing? Invest in our work by clicking here. We're supported by our more than 800,000 citizen-activists nationwide. Your contribution in any amount will go a long way in promoting free-market policies at all levels of government - local, state and federal. Thanks!
For assistance and more information, email info@afptx.org
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